Ryan Dempster Trade Rumors – Update

It’s going to be an interesting month.  Ryan Dempster is among many of the hot trade targets this season, and the rumors regarding his potential destination are popping up on a daily basis.  However, with him now on the DL, could those rumors slow down?  Let’s get you updated.  Here are the latest Dempster rumors:

• Jay Jaffe of Sports Illustrated thinks Ryan Dempster would be a fit in Boston.  He points out that the Red Sox biggest need is their starting rotation, and Dempster’s numbers argue that he may be the best pitcher on the market right now.  Jaffe said in his article, “Dempster is a much more reliable starter, and not just because his 2.31 ERA currently ranks fifth in the NL. Since returning from a three-year stretch as closer in 2008, he has delivered four straight 200-inning seasons while averaging 33 starts per year and striking out 8.2 per nine.”
• Ryan Dempster was placed on the 15-day disabled list, and Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun Times thinks the injury could cloud his trade value.  Tightness in a muscle just below the right shoulder blade is what landed Dempster on the DL.  It seems as if the Cubs front office is just being conservative to protect their trade bait and their pitcher, but teams across the league may think twice before making a move.
• According to Brian Davis of Yahoo! Sports, the Dodgers have increased their efforts to land Dempster.  Davis also points out that Dempster may not be the best trade target.  “The old saying goes that the numbers don’t lie, and Dempster’s career numbers are not all that close to what he’s accomplishing this season.”
• Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times thinks the Dodgers are in on the Dempster trade sweepstakes.  He says the team is ready to make a move and just looking for the right partner.  Despite the churning rumor mill, Ned Colleti, the Dodgers’ GM, has said the trade market has been slow to develop.  Hernandez points out that there are only three teams 10 games out of first place or more, so the Dodgers may just be waiting for more teams to fall out of contention. However, Dempster is on their list of trade targets.

For more on Ryan Dempster and the Cubs, be sure to check out Cubbies’ Crib.